Category A Men n Shipbuilding

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 44, 21 February 1945, Page 5

Category A Men n Shipbuilding

a.S. OFFICER APPEALS FOR THEIR RETENTION (Per press Association.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 20. The officer iu charge of the United States shipbuilding and repair programme at Auckland, Commander A. C. Bushey, told the No. 1 Armed Forces Appeal Board that he would be tremendously concerned if a substantial number of Category A men in the shipbuilding industry at present held on appeal in Auckland were allowed to go into the Army. Almost the entire afternoon was taken up with the hearing of appeals lodged on behalf of the employees iu the shipbuilding trade and Commander Bushey was asked to make a statement in support of the applications. Repaif contracts had been so large that the programme for the construction of new ships in Auckland was a year behind schedule, he said. All the firms bad been required to work overtime iu order to get the work done. One of New Zealand’s functions in the war was to supply food to the troops in th« Pacific and that food was carried on American vessels which had to be kept in repair iu Auckland. If the wori; was not done New Zealand would not be living up to her part of the bargain. A request that the construction of 114 ft. powered lighters and 75ft. steel tugs should be expedited had been rc ceivcd from Admiral C. W. Niinitz, Chief of the Allied Naval Forces iu the Pacific. Vessels of these types had already been used iu the Philippines. In reply to a member of the Board, Commander Bushey said the standard of workmanship iu the local yards was superb. Prom the standpoint of time, however, the firms were barely making the grade.